Group donates sandals to pupils

A missionary/concerned group, Project Care of Bible Baptist Church, Egbeda, has presented 571 pairs of school sandals to Primary I to Primary III pupils of Ebenezer Primary School and Egbeda Primary School, both at Egbeda, an outskirts of Lagos State.

Initiator, Project Care, Rev. Beatrice Omolayo Egunleti, said no child should be without a pair of shoes in a community blessed with so much.

The cleric spoke during the Children’s Day Celebration organised by her organisation for the pupils of Ebenezer Primary School and Egbeda Primary School, Egbeda, Lagos. It had as the theme: ‘Lend a hand for the less-privileged’.

The missionary said there are dangers that come from walking the streets barefooted, stressing that children are at risk of injury and exposure to disease vectors such as bacteria and parasite, which live in the soil and dirty water.

This, she said, was the motivation that endeared the non-governmental organisation to the children. “I talk with my people and we came up with a plan to provide school sandals for the children,” she said.

Explaining how the programe came about, Mrs Egunleti said: “As I stood outside my home, watching several eager and bright eyed students hurrying off to school, my heart was filled with joy at this sight until I looked at their feet and saw many of them barefooted, which was replaced with a determination to do something about it.”

She said the gesture would have been impossible without the permission of the school authorities.

The cleric thanked donors who supported the project for their generosity. Besides, the volunteers gave their time and money to ensure the shoes match the children.

Mrs Egunleti said the organisation donated the shoes with the hope that the society would one day create opportunities for everybody that no family will send children to school barefooted. “Until then, we must not wait for others to help us, or think that ‘I buy shoes for my children, so I have done my duty’. We must remember that we are our brothers’ keeper,” she said.

Responding on behalf both school, head mistress, Ebenezer Primary School, Egbeda, Mrs Juliana Asu, thanked the organisation for its kindness and hands of fellowship extended to the schools.